One person has been reportedly killed while about five others sustained varying degree of injuries after army personnel purportedly opened fire on their vehicle along the Eku road in Ethiope east local government area of Delta State.
A post by Sapele Matters, a Facebook page, disclosed that the incident occured on Saturday March 12th 2022, when the boys who were traveling to Warri, for a function from Eku axis decided to navigate through Oviore road.
It was gathered that the boys met a group of vigilante along the Oviore road, shortly after the vigilante, on their way driving speed to meet up with their programme, a group of men on military uniform jumped out of the bush, flanked the driver down but due to the speed and fear of unknown gunmen, the driver could not stop immediately before the army allegedly opened fire on their vehicle.
It was alleged that bullet from the unprofessional act of the army touched the occupants of the car, as one was in critical condition when the incident occured, as there was no road block for check and search for drivers to stop.
It was gathered that after the shooting which forced the boys to stop, the army carried out checks on the vehicle but nothing incriminating was found on them.
It was learnt that after the search, one of the personal opened up that information was given to them by a group of vigilante that kidnapper were on the way.
It was learnt that after the shooting incident, the army took the boys phones and allegedly formated them unknown to them that one of the boys was smart enough to upload his video on Whatsapp before his phone was taken from him.
It was alleged that the army held them for about an hour while the one on critical condition was bleeding, before the army took them to an undisclosed hospital in Eku, later to Oghara Teaching Hospital.
It was alleged further that at Oghara Teaching Hospital, the victims were abandoned, leading to the death of the one in critical condition, as the army allegedly dumped them at the hospital, leaving them to their fate.
It was learnt that before the deceased died, his friends had spent about N500, 000 on him, as he could not access any family member or account after his phone was allegedly formated and his SIM card was purportedly removed by the army.
Residents are demanding that the Nigeria army should provide the personnel involved in the dastardly act as there was no road block to inform drivers and other road users to slow down.
That the army should provide the vigilante who gave the information that kidnappers were on their way as they equally called on the army to pay for the medical treatment of those Innocent boys and as well provide the boys phones and gold chains allegedly taken from them just as they demands for justice for the boys.
At press time, the army Public Relations Officer, Captain George Okuoe, said he was not aware but promised to put calls around to ascertain the truth.
His words: “I am yet to get that information. However, now that you have placed a call, I will put calls around too to confirm”.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=473411457866197&id=100055920412748
Credit: Sapele Matters|Facebook
